Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of stringed musical instruments. More particularly, it pertains to stringed instruments of the type held in front of the performer while being played, play affected by the plucking of the strings. More specifically, the invention is a device for supporting a round-backed stringed instrument in playing position while standing or seated.
2. Description of Prior Art
Stringed instruments, such as banjoes, ukuleles, mandolins, guitars, and the like, are played while the performer is standing and holding the instrument in front of their body, or seated and holding the instrument in front of their chest or above or resting on their thighs. For most of these instruments, just positioning and holding the instrument in front of the body during play is sufficient throughout the performance. However, guitars which have rounded backs and other round-back instruments are somewhat singular in that the performer wishing to increase the volume and the intensity of the music must pluck or stroke the strings with great intensity. A round-backed instrument, when plucked intensely, will twist from its original position. With a round-backed instrument, the only resistance to the twisting is the grip of the holding hand. The twisting moment is created by the pressure and intensity of the plucking or strumming hand. With long performances, often lasting up to several hours, holding a guitar in a playable position while playing with great intensity is extremely tiring and can cause sufficient fatigue in the performer""s arms and hands as to reduce the performer""s artistic ability and speed.
Prior art has attempted to provide support devices for relieving arm strength from the performer by supporting the guitar or other stringed instruments through the use of straps, levers, belts, etc. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,510,799; 3,323,698; 3,894,464; 4,014,240; 4,188,851; 4,251,016; 4,254,901; 4,656,917; 4,785,705; 5,069,103; 5,191,160; 5,388,492; and 5,817,961 are examples of prior art attempts to provide support of the stringed instrument for the performer. Most of these prior art devices utilize straps that are passed over the shoulders, around the waist, around the neck, or otherwise across the torso and terminate in clasps that may be attached to the stringed instrument to support it in front of the performer. These all share one common disadvantage. They require additional attachments to the performer""s body and are, therefore, restricting. There are few supports attached to the instrument which enable the performer to sustain the instrument in correct performing position without any attachment or encumbrance to the performer""s body. One xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d guitar support (U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,492) is a support attached wholly to the instrument in question. However, such a support merely prevents the instrument from sliding down off the seated performer""s lap and does not address the problem of the twisting of a round-backed stringed instrument when played with intensity.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the industry for a support for a round-backed stringed instrument which would allow the performer to play with great intensity without having to resist the twisting of the instrument solely with the non-strumming hand.
The xe2x80x9cSupport for Round-Back Stringed Instrumentxe2x80x9d is a form consisting of two planes joined along a fold attached at a plurality of points to a round-backed stringed instrument in such a fashion that the plane of the support closest to the performer""s body is parallel to the front plane of the instrument. As a result of the application of the support for round-backed stringed instruments, the surface in contact with the performer""s body is flat rather than rounded. Consequently, when intense playing creates a twisting force on the instrument played, this is resisted by the flat surface of the support against the performer""s body. The support for roundback stringed instrument attaches at a plurality of points to the back of the instrument and supports the instrument in a fashion that resists twisting in both a sitting or a standing position.
The object of the invention is to enhance the playing comfort for the performer of playing a round-backed stringed instrument.